1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to the field of valve safety devices, and more specifically to a lockout device for manually operated valves.
2. Description of Related Art
Lockout and tag-out devices for manually operated fluid control valves are known in the art. Fluid control valves are commonly used to regulate the flow of fluids and flowable materials, such as liquids, gases, and the like. Such lockout and tag-out devices are used, for example, to prevent the operation of a valve while a system associated with the valve is undergoing maintenance, and to notify others that a particular valve should not be operated. A lockout device typically inhibits operation of the valve, such as by securing the valve handle in place to prevent it from being turned. A tag-out device is typically a notification tag attached to the valve notifying others that a valve should not be operated. Alone or in combination, lockout and tag-out devices serve to protect operators of equipment and personnel who maintain that equipment by notifying that a particular valve should not be operated and by inhibiting or preventing operation of the valve.
Various forms of lockout and tag-out devices are known in the art. For example, it is common to route a cable through a valve handle and to attach a padlock or clip to secure the cable in place. Such known devices and methods, however, are limited in the amount of security provided and the types of valve arrangements they can effectively be used with. For example, a cable simply strung through a valve handle allows the valve to still be operated over a fairly wide range due to slack in the cable. And, a cable alone is insufficient to secure a valve which does not have a handle—a common scenario in systems where valve handles are removed to prevent casual or accidental operation of a valve. Thus it can be seen that there remains a need in the art for a lockout device for manual valves that provides for inhibiting the operation of a valve and is usable with various types and configurations of valves.